--- python.eclass
+++ python.eclass
@@ -775,8 +775,9 @@
 	_python_initial_sanity_checks
 
 	if [[ "$(declare -p PYTHON_ABIS 2> /dev/null)" != "declare -x PYTHON_ABIS="* ]] && has "${EAPI:-0}" 0 1 2 3; then
-		local PYTHON_ABI restricted_ABI support_ABI supported_PYTHON_ABIS=
-		PYTHON_ABI_SUPPORTED_VALUES="${_CPYTHON2_SUPPORTED_ABIS[@]} ${_CPYTHON3_SUPPORTED_ABIS[@]} ${_JYTHON_SUPPORTED_ABIS[@]}"
+		local PYTHON_ABI restricted_ABI restricted_ABIs support_ABI supported_PYTHON_ABIS
+
+		restricted_ABIs="${RESTRICT_PYTHON_ABIS// /$'\n'}"
 
 		if [[ "$(declare -p USE_PYTHON 2> /dev/null)" == "declare -x USE_PYTHON="* ]]; then
 			local cpython_enabled="0"
@@ -786,7 +787,7 @@
 			fi
 
 			for PYTHON_ABI in ${USE_PYTHON}; do
-				if ! has "${PYTHON_ABI}" ${PYTHON_ABI_SUPPORTED_VALUES}; then
+				if ! has "${PYTHON_ABI}" ${_PYTHON_SUPPORTED_ABIS[@]}; then
 					die "USE_PYTHON variable contains invalid value '${PYTHON_ABI}'"
 				fi
 
@@ -795,12 +796,12 @@
 				fi
 
 				support_ABI="1"
-				for restricted_ABI in ${RESTRICT_PYTHON_ABIS}; do
+				while read restricted_ABI; do
 					if [[ "${PYTHON_ABI}" == ${restricted_ABI} ]]; then
 						support_ABI="0"
 						break
 					fi
-				done
+				done <<< "${restricted_ABIs}"
 				[[ "${support_ABI}" == "1" ]] && export PYTHON_ABIS+="${PYTHON_ABIS:+ }${PYTHON_ABI}"
 			done
 
@@ -829,19 +830,19 @@
 
 				for PYTHON_ABI in "${_CPYTHON2_SUPPORTED_ABIS[@]}"; do
 					support_python_major_version="1"
-					for restricted_ABI in ${RESTRICT_PYTHON_ABIS}; do
+					while read restricted_ABI; do
 						if [[ "${PYTHON_ABI}" == ${restricted_ABI} ]]; then
 							support_python_major_version="0"
 						fi
-					done
+					done <<< "${restricted_ABIs}"
 					[[ "${support_python_major_version}" == "1" ]] && break
 				done
 				if [[ "${support_python_major_version}" == "1" ]]; then
-					for restricted_ABI in ${RESTRICT_PYTHON_ABIS}; do
+					while read restricted_ABI; do
 						if [[ "${python2_version}" == ${restricted_ABI} ]]; then
 							die "Active version of Python 2 is not supported by ${CATEGORY}/${PF}"
 						fi
-					done
+					done <<< "${restricted_ABIs}"
 				else
 					python2_version=""
 				fi
@@ -856,19 +857,19 @@
 
 				for PYTHON_ABI in "${_CPYTHON3_SUPPORTED_ABIS[@]}"; do
 					support_python_major_version="1"
-					for restricted_ABI in ${RESTRICT_PYTHON_ABIS}; do
+					while read restricted_ABI; do
 						if [[ "${PYTHON_ABI}" == ${restricted_ABI} ]]; then
 							support_python_major_version="0"
 						fi
-					done
+					done <<< "${restricted_ABIs}"
 					[[ "${support_python_major_version}" == "1" ]] && break
 				done
 				if [[ "${support_python_major_version}" == "1" ]]; then
-					for restricted_ABI in ${RESTRICT_PYTHON_ABIS}; do
+					while read restricted_ABI; do
 						if [[ "${python3_version}" == ${restricted_ABI} ]]; then
 							die "Active version of Python 3 is not supported by ${CATEGORY}/${PF}"
 						fi
-					done
+					done <<< "${restricted_ABIs}"
 				else
 					python3_version=""
 				fi